Darcy's Voyage: A Tale of Uncharted Love on the Open Seas (39 page)

“I love you, Elizabeth. You are my love, my life.” He drew closer to her and kissed her; warmly at first and then allowed it to deepen passionately. At length, he reluctantly pulled away, knowing they had a long ride ahead of them.

Elizabeth took in a deep breath in an attempt to recover from the feelings her husband’s kiss had evoked. She nestled against her husband and he encased her with his arms as they settled in for a leisurely—but occasionally passionate—ride to London.

As the carriage reached London and ambled through town, Elizabeth curiously looked out the window and then back to her husband. “Did you not tell me your townhouse is near St. James Park?”

Darcy nodded, “Indeed, I did.”

She kept her eyes on the buildings passing by. “Is it not, then, on the other side of town? Are we not travelling in the opposite direction?”

“Yes, it is on the other side of town, and yes, we are travelling in the opposite direction.”

“But why?” She asked this question as Darcy made an attempt to smother the smile that was forming on his lips.

“There is something I would like us to see one last time.”

Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously. He seemed intent to be silent, although he finally lost in his effort to keep a broad smile from gracing his face.

At length, she realized they were nearing the harbour, and the carriage slowed as they passed several ships. Elizabeth’s heart pounded as she kept her eyes open for the one ship that would be all too familiar. The carriage soon pulled to a stop and Elizabeth looked out at the grand sailing ship,
Pemberley’s Promise.

She looked at Darcy with delight. “You did not tell me we would be coming to the ship.”

“I wanted to keep it a surprise. Come, Elizabeth. I believe we are expected.”

As they walked toward the ship, Darcy took her hand and told her that he was in the process of selling the great vessel and wanted to take one last look at it with her.

“Selling it? But why?”

Darcy brought her hand to his lips. “It was a profitable investment when I purchased it, and it did well. But my trust in the seaworthiness of this vessel rode heavily on Captain Wendell’s excellent reputation as its captain. As he is getting on in years, he has decided he would like to captain something that perhaps only makes the crossing of the Channel to the continent and back or up and down the coast of England.” He looked over at Elizabeth, whose eyes were misting over. “You are not sad it is for sale, are you?”

“I admit I am. After all, this is where we were married.”

“That is why I brought you down here. Look, there is Captain Wendell now.”

They walked onto the ship, and Elizabeth looked around her, remembering their time together on board this vessel: their walks, their misunderstandings, and her walking off that last day, believing she would never see him again.

“Mr. and Mrs. Darcy! I am exceedingly pleased to have you back onboard! And may I offer my sincere congratulations and deepest satisfaction that you not only found each other, but found one another to be of the same mind in regards to your marriage.”

“Thank you, Wendell,” Darcy answered.

“Thank you, Captain,” replied Elizabeth.

The captain looked at Darcy. “If you will follow me, sir, everything is prepared for you.”

Wendell turned and Darcy took Elizabeth’s arm, smiling at her inquisitive glance. “Come, dearest Elizabeth.”

They walked slowly behind the captain, and Elizabeth quickly realized he was leading them to the room that had been theirs the month they had been on the ship. He opened the door and stepped back.

“If you have need of anything, I shall be in my quarters. Your meal will be brought to you in approximately an hour.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Darcy nodded at the gentleman and watched him turn and walk away.

Elizabeth began to take a step into the small room, but Darcy stopped her. “There is one thing I must attend to first, before we walk in,” he told her. Without pausing, he reached down and easily lifted her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Do you remember this is how I first brought you into this room?”

A wide smile passed Elizabeth’s face as she recollected his having to carry her because she had sprained her ankle. “I may have been ill at the time and suffering from a painfully sore ankle, but yes, I do remember.” She looked at his face and gently caressed it with her hand. “Even back then, I enjoyed the feel of being held in your arms.”

Darcy smiled. “Is that a fact?” He stepped into the room and continued to hold her as their eyes were locked together, one to another. “If I had known that,” he said softly, “I would have done it more often!”

They both laughed, suddenly feeling as though they stepped back in time. As they glanced around them, they both had to catch their breath. The little table was covered with a crisp linen tablecloth and scattered rose petals. A shallow crystal dish also held rose petals floating in water. Candles were lit just above the table in wall sconces, and there was a bottle of wine and two goblets set out for them.

“William! How beautiful! Was this your idea?”

“I cannot take credit for all of it. I asked Wendell to make the room look nice as I wanted to bring you back to it. I asked him to have the chef prepare something special and to make the table presentable for our wedding day meal.”

Elizabeth giggled. “I do believe if you had brought me to your room that afternoon and it was in this state, I should never have wanted to leave!”

Darcy, still holding her, walked over to the bed that Elizabeth had slept in, sitting down so she was now seated in his lap. Leaning in to her, he gently kissed her. “You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you that morning I comforted you and held you like this when Mrs. Trimble passed on. You were so beautiful, even in your distress.”

Elizabeth sighed. She had to admit that her feelings toward Darcy had truly altered after that day. She felt that he sincerely cared for her as she grieved for Mrs. Trimble. He had held her, consoled her, and let her cry against him. Then later that day, they sat at the table and talked about themselves.

The two found themselves gently swaying along with the rhythm of the boat’s rocking. Darcy looked over at the other bed, which had been his on their voyage, and suddenly recalled waking each morning and looking directly over to the sheet that had given Elizabeth her privacy. It was hard for him to believe that this night they would sleep in the same bed and there would be no need for ever hanging another sheet. An involuntary sigh escaped him.

“What are you thinking, William?”

Elizabeth’s voice startled him from his reverie.

“Hmm.” Darcy nestled his head against Elizabeth’s neck. “Truth be told, my dearest, I was contemplating the sheet.”

Elizabeth pulled slightly out from him and asked, “The sheet?”

“Yes. You remember…”

“Of course, but that is what you were just thinking of?”

Darcy nodded his head. “More along the lines of
not
needing the sheet. Nor a door, nor a room, nor a house ever separating us again.”

Elizabeth smiled and looked around her at the small cabin. “Are we to stay here for the night, then?”

Darcy’s eyes widened. “Here? I should say not! I have something arranged that I trust you will find more pleasantly accommodating. A little more spacious in regards to certain amenities.” He glanced at the bed as he said this and Elizabeth, blushing, turned away.

But a sense of disappointment swept over her and she looked back at Darcy. “I think I would prefer to spend our first night here.”

Darcy looked at her incredulously. “But Elizabeth, certainly you cannot expect us…” He looked at the beds and back to her in exasperation. “I have no intention of sleeping in separate beds after all the time I have waited! These beds are barely wide enough for one person, let alone the both of us!”

“Please, my love?” Her drawn-out plea and her twinkling eyes gave him a moment’s pause to reconsider.

But then, quickly, he answered, “No, Elizabeth. I promise you that you will greatly prefer the plans I have made.”

“You were hoping to spend the night at your townhome, were you not?”

Darcy shook his head,
“Our
townhome and, as a matter of fact,
no
, I had something else in mind.”

“And what would that be?”

Darcy shook his head. “I wish it to be a surprise.”

Elizabeth suddenly pulled herself out of Darcy’s lap and stood up, folding her arms in front of her. “Is there any reason, other than your judgment that the beds are too small, that we cannot stay here for the night?”

“That is reason enough for me!”

Darcy stood up and walked over to Elizabeth. A very mischievous look crossed her face and she pulled herself up against her him. “If I recall correctly,” Elizabeth began, “when I awoke that night we had to sleep on the floor, we were not taking up much space together at all!”

Darcy smiled as he recollected waking up to Elizabeth snuggled tightly against him and forcing himself to think of her as Caroline Bingley to ensure his behaviour was kept in check. “Are you saying you wish to sleep on the floor?”

Elizabeth smiled. “If we end up there, so be it. I would merely like to spend our wedding night where we were first married.”

A wide grin spread across Darcy’s face as he battled with Elizabeth’s romantic notions and insistence. He finally relented.

Drawing close to Elizabeth again, he said, “I shall inform the captain that we will be spending the night here and have Durnham bring in our overnight bags.” He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss.

After Darcy returned and they waited for the meal to be brought in, he poured the wine and the two sat at the table, reflecting on their journey to America and their journey back to each other.

The winter sun descended quickly toward the horizon, and soon the room was illuminated solely from the candles. They ate their perfectly prepared meal in the ambiance of a candlelit room, rocking softly to the rhythm of the gentle swells of the Thames River.

Although Darcy hated to leave Elizabeth, he knew it would be only proper for him to give her some privacy to allow her to ready herself for bed. He stepped out of the cabin and walked toward the dining room where he found Durnham and Winston visiting with some of the crew. He stopped and talked with them and then walked out on the deck.

As he walked, he thought back to those times out here when he had struggled about his feelings for Elizabeth. How could he have waited so long to tell her he loved her? He felt a tremor pass through him as he considered that after they departed the ship, he might never have found her again. He closed his eyes at just the thought of that possibility.

His thoughts took him back to Elizabeth, who was now back in their cabin, readying herself for him to come to her, and it was all he could do to not return to the room directly. He walked the deck a couple of times and finally decided he had allowed her sufficient time.

He came to their door and lightly knocked. “Elizabeth…”

“Come in,” Elizabeth answered softly.

Just hearing those simple words from Elizabeth’s mouth made Darcy’s heart race and his mouth go dry. He slowly reached down and took the door handle in his hands, giving it a turn. As the door swung open, he looked in; his eyes needed a few moments to adjust to the soft dimness of it. Elizabeth had extinguished most of the candles save a few.

She was still sitting in front of the mirror when he first walked in and saw her. He was rendered speechless as he watched as she unhurriedly stood up and turned around. The gown she wore shimmered and clung to her curves. His eyes took in every inch of her standing before him as well as the back of her from the reflection in the mirror.

He was so captivated by the sight of her, he was torn whether to take those few steps and take her in his arms or stand and watch her from afar.

He was finally able to muster the words, “Elizabeth, you are beautiful.”

She looked down and smiled. As he still seemed incapable of movement, she began walking toward him. She came up to him and wrapped her arms about his waist, looking up at him. He needed no further prompting to take her in his arms.

As his lips came down upon hers, she suddenly felt all apprehensions about the night disappear. She felt right in his arms and he felt so right in hers. Their kiss grew in intensity and soon their passions were ignited beyond abandoning.

At length, Elizabeth noticed that her husband had never closed the door to the room. “Dearest husband, it will not do to have me standing here in this attire and in such a passionate embrace for all the ship’s crew to see. Would you mind closing the door?”

Darcy kept his arms tightly wrapped around Elizabeth as he used his foot to manoeuvre the door closed behind him. It shut with a resounding bang that announced to all that from now until dawn, they were to be left alone, no visitors would be accepted, and no interruptions would be tolerated.

***

The door to the cabin did not open again until almost 9:30 the next morning. For two people who enjoyed rising in the early hours, it was evidence that neither had slept adequately.

They took a leisurely walk arm in arm up on deck and then proceeded to the dining room. The chef in the ship’s galley had prepared a simple morning repast and they enjoyed it while sitting alone at the table Elizabeth had been sitting at when Darcy made his unusual offer of marriage. They both looked around them, knowing it might be the last time they would ever see the ship.

“Must you truly sell the ship, William?” Elizabeth asked in a melancholy manner.

“No, but I believe it to be the best thing to do.”

His hand went to the back of Elizabeth’s neck and kneaded it gently.

Elizabeth sighed contentedly and then said with a touch of resignation, “I shall truly miss it.”

Darcy only nodded and smiled.

When they finished their meal and Durnham and Winston had taken out their bags, Elizabeth took Darcy’s arm as they walked toward the door that brought them back out on deck. Before they reached it, though, they came to a hanging sign that boasted the name of the ship.